Trichosanthes Laceribractea

Trichosanthes laceribractea (长萼栝楼).

Members of the cucumber family, there are several species of trichosanthes growing in Hunan. On Yuelu Mountain, its flowers can be observed every year around midsummer.

Jerusalem Cherry

Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum, 珊瑚樱).

Another American plant, naturalized in parts of China. Sometimes I find them in the forests on the outskirts of Changsha and other cities.

Common Evening-Primrose

Common Evening-Primrose (Oenothera biennis, 月见草).

Naturalized in parts of Hunan: I saw it in bloom along the sides of every road and trail in the Huxingshan Yao Ethnic Township last July.

East Asian Eurya

East Asian Eurya (Eurya japonica, 柃木).

A fairly tall shrub, it blossoms in spring and early winter and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to reduce dampness, swelling and bleeding. Growing here in Wangling Park.

Muskmelon

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo, 甜瓜).

Growing wild in the mud by the Xiang river. This plant has been widely cultivated from antiquity, but who knows how long ago its progenitor escaped some local garden to grow here.

Slender Bracken

Slender Bracken (Pteris ensiformis, 剑叶凤尾蕨).

A species of bracken growing on Yuelu Mountain and a reminder that at some time I wish to look more closely at local ferns. It is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to clear away heat and to promote diuresis.

Chinese Thistle

Chinese Thistle (Cirsium chinense, 崂山蓟).

Found growing by a trail in Shibadong. The deeply lobed leaves are strikingly different than the thistles one more often comes across.

Sparrow False Pimpernel

Sparrow False Pimpernel (Bonnaya antipoda, 泥花草).

A perennial plant distributed from subtropical Asia to Australia, where it blooms in April. Here in the Xiang mudflats, is a November Autumn flower.

Fragrant Flatsedge

Fragrant Flatsedge (Cyperus odoratus, 断节莎).

Growing in the mudflats of the Xiang river. This plant has a global distribution, though future research might reveal that there is more than species, collected together under this classification.

Phtheirospermum Japonicum

Phtheirospermum japonicum (松蒿).

Another flower from Shibadong. The genus phtheirospermum is monotypic, and japonicum is misleading as it grows throughout the 'far east'.

Hubei Anemone

Hubei Anemone (Eriocapitella hupehensis, 打破碗花花).

Widely cultivated, but in some places still wild. Early November in Shibadong, these fragile flowers were abundant throughout the forests, clinging to rocky outcrops or wherever else they could find a little sun.

Clematis Lasiandra

Clematis lasiandra (毛蕊铁线莲).

A very striking wild clematis, growing wild in Shibadong in early November. I only found it growing in one spot but there, there were dozens of small flowers.

White Mugwort

White Mugwort (Artemisia lactiflora, 白苞蒿).

Fairly uncommon on Yuelu Mountain (but abundant in other regions), one solitary plant was in bloom near a local stream.

Aster Ageratoides

Aster ageratoides (三脉紫菀).

I took this picture in Shibadong, but this aster is very in the mountains during Autumn, both along the roads and trails and deeper with the forests.

Chusan Palm

Chusan Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei, 棕榈).

A fan palm that has been cultivated for thousands of years. This one is growing high up on Yuelu Mountain, along with many other trees, some native, others also introduced over the course of human history.

Touch-me-not Balsam

Touch-me-not Balsam (Impatiens noli-tangere, 水金凤).

A flower that can be found throughout the Northern hemisphere, its flowers are very common on Hengshan in late October. The fruit of this balsam explore when ripe, thereby scattering seeds over a distance.

Metagentiana Rhodantha

Metagentiana rhodantha (红花龙胆).

Spotted by the roadside in Shibadong Village, west Hunan on November 3. It was clearly some species of gentian though it took me some research to narrow it down to the species.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba, 银杏).

I love ginko, a unique and ancient tree. They have been around for hundreds of millions of years and I hope they are around for hundreds of millions more.

Marvel of Peru

Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis jalapa, 紫茉莉).

As the name suggests, it is a South American flower, but here it was blooming along a mountain road on Hengshan.

Hemiboea Subcapitata

Hemiboea subcapitata (降龙草).

This plant can be found throughout southern China, though this is the first time I have encountered it in the wild, flowering in Taohualing Park. Perhaps I would have observed it more often if I paid more attention to plants when they are not in flower.